Fountain pen



P 1946. s. D. CLOUTIER 2,398,521

FOUNTAIN PEN Filed Jan. 20, 1944 I N VEN TOR.

Patented Apr. 16, 1946 FOUNTAIN PEN George Douglas Cloutier, Chicago, IlL, assltnor to Eversharp, .lnc., Chicago, Ill., a corllolaflon of Delaware Application January 20, 1944, Serial No. 518,931

17 Claims.

This invention relates: to improvements in fountain pens.

One of its objects is the-provision of an improved construction of the ink feeding portions and pen point which will permit their being made sufficiently small to be sheathed, excepting for the extreme writing tip of the latter, within a portion of the pen barrel or casing, yet-afl'ord them adequate strength and certainty. and reliability in operation. Yet another object is the provision of a-fountain pen construction wherein the ink feed parts 1 and the pen point may beentirely sheathed, ex-

cepting for the extreme writing-tip of the latter,

the ink reservoir, so as to prevent the dropping of ink from the pen under the conditions to which a fountain pen normally may be expected to be of quite simpleconstruction andinvolves a small number of parts, yet which will be highly effective to prevent the flooding or leakage of ink from the pen, even though it may be carried in a prone position or with the pen point below the level of the ink reservoir.

Yet another object is the provision of ink feed control facilities which 'may be embodied in a fountain pen section of quite slender proportions and which will be effective to return ink which is held in the feed parts to the reservoir promptly after the pen is inverted or placed in a position where the reservoir is below the level of the pen section. I

Yet another object is the provision of 9. tom-- tain pen construction wherein the ink feed control portions which are disposed externally of the ink reservoir are adapted, in themselves, to

constitute anauxiliary reservoir-of considerable capacity, suchas to augment the ink storage space of the reservoir proper.

Yet another object is the provision of an improved construction for fountain pens of the self-filling typewhich will facilitate the com:

plete filling of the reservoir and which will provide a reservoir of a capacity which considerably exceeds the capacity of the collapsible member or sac which forms a portion of the reservoir and which constitutes the suction-inducing means of the filling mechanism,

Yet another object is the provision of an improved construction which permits the use of a metallic pen point of quite small size, and which facilitates the accurate assembly of a small pen point and associated feed elements and which willbe efiective to retain them securely and accurately in proper relationship and in secure assembly with the other portions of the pen.

Yet another object is the provision in a fountain pen of the type wherein a flexible nib pen point is completely sheathed exceptingfor the writing tip, of an improved construction which will materially facilitate the use of the pen for writing and aid in the proper application of the writing tip to the paper quickly and in proper position for writing.

Other and further objects of the invention will be pointed out or indicated hereinafter or will be apparent upon an understanding of the invention or uponactual use of it.

For the purpose of aiding in an explanation of the invention I show in the acompanying drawing, forming part of this specification, certain forms in which it maybe embodied. It will be understood, however, that these are presented merely for purpose of illustration and that they are not to be regarded as imposing unnecessary limitations on the appended claims, which are intended to define the invention.

In said'drawing,

Fig. l is a longitudinal section through a major portion of a' fountain pen embodying my invention, the section being inthe nature of a sectional elevation withthe pen in approximately writing position; V

Fig. 2 is a transverse section on approximately line 2-2 of Fig. ,i, but on a considerably larger scale than Fig. 1; i

Fig. 3 is a top or plan view of a feed bar such as is shown embodied in Figs. 1 and 2, but on a scale somewhat larger than Fig. 1 and smaller than Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a top or plan view of the forward'or writing end of a fountain pen showing certain features of my invention, the same being on a scale somewhat smaller than Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a bottom view oi a forward portion of the pen structure illustrated in Fig. 1, but on a somewhat smaller scale;

Fig. 6 is a part longitudinal section through the forward end portion of a structure such as is shown in Fig. 1, with the pen inverted so that its writing end is presented upwardly, and with the cap seated on the barrel in position to house the writing end; I

Fig. '1 is a detail in the nature of a longitudinal section of a cap retaining element which forms a portion of the cap illustrated in Fig. 6; and

Fig. 8 is a detail in the nature of a fragmentary longitudinal section of a portion of a somewhat similar cap retaining element showing it in association with a cooperating retaining element on I the pen barrel.

The nature of the invention will be most quickly ascertained from a detailed description of the illustrativ embodiments shown in the drawing,

or barrel comprises a rearward section In and aforward section II. The rearward barrel section is a tubular member suitably formed to constitute or accommodate a portion of the ink reservoir and also the filling mechanism. The forward barrel section ii is also a tubular member and tapers to a pointedtlp I la at its forward end and is formed to accommodate the ink feed or flow control instrumentalities and all of the pen point excepting its writing tip. The forward and rearward barrel sections preferably are formed to be readily connected to and disconnected from each other as by means of threaded portions If. The forward barrel section has a bore running through it from end to end, the rearward portion id of said bore constituting a. part of the ink reservoir, and

the forward portion it of said bore being of someasaassl of said gutters being arcuate, s seen in Figs. 1 and 6, and said gutters terminating short of the forward end of the feed bar. These gutters are separated from the ink feed grooves 22 and air channel by thin wall portions 2'! having transversely arched upper edges.

Within the longitudinal span of the gutters 2B the bar is slotted transversely to provide a number of ink-imbibing slots 28 separated from one another by thin fins 28. These ink-imbibing slots are of substantial depth, preferably extending into the bar as far as is feasible without dangerously impairing its strength, for example, to a radial depth approximating one-fourth of the diameter of the bar. It is preferable, as shown in Fig. 2, that they extend continuously around throughthe lower portions of the bar from gutter to gutter. At their upper ends these slots 28 open into the gutter 26. and it is of advantage that the what larger diameter and serving the purposes hereinafter described. In addition to the chamber afforded by the bore portion i4, the reservoir comprises a collapsible elastic tubular element or ink sac i6, which is mounted on a nipple II at the rear end of the barrel section II and occupies a portion of the bore cavity of the rear section iii. In addition to constituting a. portion of the reservoir, the elastic sac it constitutes a part of the filling mechanism and is adapted to be collapsed within the barrel portion it by pressure from a presser bar i8 which may be forced inwardly by operation of a filling lever l 9 in a well known fashion.

The writing and ink feed control elements comprise a pen point 28 of the resiliently flexible nib.

its upper side it is provided with narrow kerfs 22' extending parallel with its axis to afford ink feed channels which extend through its rearward end but which terminate at blind ends in its tip. Between the ink feed channels 22 is a spline 24 whose upper margin lie somewhat below the uppermost surface of the feed bar, thereby providing an air channel 25 extending longitudinally of the bar and through its rearward end and havin communication throughout its length with the ink feed channels 22.

The feed bar is recessed in its upper portion to provide overflow gutters 26 extending longitudinally oi' it for approximately half its length alongside the ink feed channels 22, the bottoms depth to which their openings extend into the bar be somewhat less than the depth to which the bar is recessed to form the gutters 26, thus to afford narrow ledges 30 adjacent the inner corners of the gutters and extending continuously longitudinally of the gutters past the inner limits of the slots 28. These ink-imbibing slots are of width such that each is enabled to imbibe and support against gravity, by capillarity or the combined adhesion and surface tension effects of the liquid, a volume of fountain pen ink sufficient to fill it. for example, of a width of the order of 0.015 of an inch. In its under portion the bar is formed with an ink return pocket 3i in the form of a longitudinal slot extending rearwardly from the rearmost slot 28, the saidpocket 3| terminating short of the rear end of the bar and. at its forward end, entering the rearmost" inkimbibing slot 28. If desired, this pocket may be extended forwardly, as aligned notches in the lower portions of the fins 29, so as to communicate with a plurality of, the slot 28 in the rearward portion of the series. At a distance rearwardly from the gutters 26, the bar-is grooved circumferentially to provide one or more drainage channels 82 which are intersected in the lower portion of the bar by the pocket 3i and in the upper portion of the bar by the air channel 25.

In its lower rearward portion the feed bar is provided with a longitudinal bore ad which is in communication with the ink and air feed channels 22 and 25 by means of a radial branch 3'5. In thelarger, rearward portion of the bore 86 is securely seated the end of an air by-pass tube 36. This air by-pass tube is quite slender, and while quite pliant or flexible, is relatively rigid against collapsing.

The pen point is of more or less conventional type, being arched transversely and split and pointed at its forward end to form resilient collaterally disposed nibs which terminate at a.

pierce aperture 204:. The transverse arch or curvature of the pen point is such that it conforms fairly closely to the normal cylindrical peripheral form of the feed bar, so that it may assembled relationship by means of a mounting sleeve 31, the internal diameter of which is such as to embrace the rearward portion of the pen point and underlying feed bar -with a tight pressed fit, in which action the forward portion of th sleeve may take a slightly out-of-round' shape in order to conform closely to the bar and the interposed portion of the pen point. The external dimensions of the mounting sleeve are such that-its rear portion will flttightly in the bore i4 of the casing section II, while the larger bore portion IE will ailorda clearance around the almost to the upper end of the ink sac IE or res-' ervoir portion in the rearward barrel section Ill, the tube being open at its rearward end.

While the beveled forward end portion of the feed her, together with the overlying pen point, almost close the forward end of the bore [5, a clearance is left between them and an adequate space is left between the tip Ila of the casing and the pen point nibs to permit the latter to flex properly. Moreover, in the under side of the casing section ii, there is provided a slot 40 leading rearwardly from the forward orifice of the bore l6 past the ink-imbibing slots". This is best illustrated in Fig. 5.

n the upwardly presented lateral portions of its exterior surface-the casing Ii is fiatted off for a distance from its forward end, as illustrated at 4| in-Fi'gs. 2 and4, in such fashion as dimensions that when the cap is telescoped onto longitudinally on the barrel for a. substantial distance while the resilient sleeve segments ar in engagement with it. Mounted in .the thimble adiacent its open end is a cap-securing element, which is illustrated in longitudinal section in Fig. 7, and which is in the form of a collar 41 having a plurality 'of' resilient gripping arms 48 extending from it and arranged around a common axis. These resilient gripping arms are given a set in a form in which they are bowed inwardly and, as seen in Fig. '7, they engage the outer sides of the sleeve segments 46!; and oppose their taking a. permanent set in distended form. Approximately mid-way 7 their length the arms 48 are formed with offsets or a stop shoulders 48. The securing element isretained in the thimble by having the marginal end portion of the latter flanged or spun inwardly into retentive engagement with the collar portion". The resilient gripping arms48 bulge inwardly fromthe encompassing portion of the cap and they and the ring 44 are formed of such the forward end of the pen in coaxial relationship, the ring 44 will engage the inwardly bowed arms 48 and will wedge them outwardly against their inherent resiliency so as to keep them clear of the periphery ofthe casing. the ring 44 thus to form 'a narrow, forwardly tapering land 42 extending to the tip Ila from a location some distance rearwardly thereof. This is for the purpose of giving the implement definite directional character which renders immediately evident to the user the position in which the pen is to be held for proper application of the nib points to the paper for writing. Because of this feature the normal user naturally and automatically positions the pen properly and immediately, without having to devote thought or attention specifically to that detail of its use.

Beween the forward end of the casing section in and a shoulder on casing section II is positioned in housing. relationship to the writing end of the pen.

The cap construction is illustrated in longitudinal section in Fig. 6. It may be formed of a metal thimble portion 45 with a lining sleeve 46 of other material which has a suitable degree of elasticity or resilient quality, such as pyroxylin. The thimble is of size to house the casing section II and to extend past the retaining ring 44.

The open end portion of the sleeve is reduced in thickness and slotted longitudinally as at 46a to subdivide it into segments 46?), which renders it elastically distensible. It is of size to cooperate with the tapering casing portion with a sliding engagement which permits the cap to be moved taking the wear incident to the tensioning of I the gripping members. The shoulders 49 of the gripping members constitute stop elements, which, upon reaching the ring 44, arrest telescop ing movement of the cap, in which relationship the elasticity of the members 48. exerted entirely upon the ring 44, holds the can securely in place on the pen without subjecting the surface of the latter to wear or abrasion or pinching action. If additional security of retention-is desired. the members 48 may be slightly recessed immediately ahead of the stop shoulders 48, as illustrated at 88 in Fig. 8. This ordinarily should not be necessary, as the members 48 may be made in such fashion that their resilient character gives adequate seating action and holding .cooperation with the ring 44. As thus mounted on the'casing, the cap is held against wobbling by the bearing of the segments 48!) on the casing and the arms 48 on the ring 44. It is securely retained by the gripping action of the arms 48 on the wear ring 44, but may be withdrawn from the pm by firm endwise traction, in which action it rides oil smoothly and without sudden release.

The foregoing constituting a description of the structure. I will nowdescribe in detail the manner in which it operates.

To fill the pen, it is held approximately upright with the pen point submerged in ink to a level above the'pierce 28a, and the filling lever 18 is swung outwardly and inwardly alternately to compress the sac l8 and permit it to resume its normal form by itsown elasticity. The tube 'tm-byvirtue' of its pliability, accommodates this collapsing of the sac llwithout collapsing of the tube itself. 33! thus operating the lever repeatedly, the reservoir, including the chamber l4 as well as the cavity of the ink sac it, may b completely filled with ink. Upon completion of the'flrst such operation of the lever, an indefinite quantity of ink, probably insufficient to fill the cavity [4. will be drawn into it. Upon the succeeding sac-compressing operations, air in the sac will be forced out through the tube 36 and a portion of it will pass out through the grooves 22 and 24 forwardly from the passage 35, forcing ahead of it such ink as is in them. The

air ressure at the outlet of no 88 will-co teragt the pressure upon the ink which is in the reservoir and in the grooves 22 and 24 behind said branch, thus preventing ejection of any substantial proportion of such ink. Thus, by repeated operations of the filling mec, the reservoir may be gradually filled to its limit. Incident to such operation, the slots 28 and gutters 28 may be more or less filled with ink by capillary action or by ink ejected from the forward portions of grooves 22 and 2t.

In the writing operation, the pen isused inthe customary fashion, the ink being deposited on the paper and withdrawn from the nibs by virtue of its cohesive and surface tension or film-drawing characteristics assisted by gravity. with the pen held in the normal sloping position for writing, ink in the gutters as will tend to flow to their forward end portions, where it is brought into contact with the under surfaces of the nibs and whence it is drawn along the nib surfaces by its surface tension action incident to the writing operation. Ink which is in the slots 28 is drawn into the gutters 26 by surface tension or film action, feeding forwardly along the ledges and adjoining walls 2'! to the forward ends of the gutters, and is thence conducted to the paper by the nibs. The slot 80 allows entrance of air to permit clearing of the slots 28 as described, said slot being of sumcient-width to prevent its beso ing arched by ink film. Ink from the reservoir is fed to the pen point through the ink feed grooves 22 and, on occasions, through portions of the air groove 25, the latter also accommodating inward passage of air bubbles from the pierce 20a to the reservoir to take the place of ink which is withdrawn from the latter.

In event a quantity of ink is discharged from the reservoir in excess of that currently required for writing, or at other times, as by expansion of e air within the reservoir, it will first fill the air groove 25 and thence may overflow the walls 21 and enter the gutters 26, or it may find egress through the pierce 20a onto the upper surface of the pen point. From either of these locations portions-of the overflow ink reach grooves 28 and are absorbed and held therein by their capillary action. Overflow ink which is not thus accommodated is adhesively retained between peripheral surface portions of the pen point and fins 29 and the encompassing wall portions of bore 45. In the aggregate, these severaloverflow-receiving spaces afford a Very considerable capacity, sufficient to take care of any flooding which may occur under conditions which a fountain pen normally encounters. Consequently, the pen normally may berelied upon to prevent dropping of ink, even if carried upside-down in a pocket or in a prone position in a handbag or the like, provided the cap is in place.

The construction also provides for the expeditious return of ink from the overflow retaining spaces tothe reservoir. When the pen is positioned with its forward end at an elevation above the reservoir, ink will be withdrawn from the grooves 22 and 25 into the reservoir by gravity and surface tension or film-drawing action, and ink in the gutters 26 will likewise be withdrawn,

principally by the surface tension or film action,

to thepocket 3! by way of the rearward slot or slots 28 which are intersected by said pocket. Ink in the forward slots 28 is drawn int the gut- I ters 26 and thence feeds along the surfaces of the wall 21 and ledges 80 in the reentrant angles access:

5 which is between the walls of the bore I 5 and peripheral surfaces of the pen point and fins 29 is drawn into the slots 28 and follows along the same course to pocket 3| and thence through channels 32 and 25 to the reservoir. 'lhus all the i0 overflow-receiving spaces may be effective leared of ink so that they may exercise their functions effectively in event of a subsequent overflow from the normal ink feeding channels. I

By virtue of the coordination of these several 15 features, the overflow-receiving parts are adepted to afford the requisite capacity, even though the feed bar may be of quit small diameter such as to permit it and the pen point to be effectively sheathed in a casing portion which is quite so slender and which assumes a desirable pointed form at its forward end. Likewise, by virtue of the fact that the overflow-receiving spacesactually serve to augment the capacity of the reservoir, plus the fact that the reservoir may be completelyfilled with ink, pens embodying this construction may have liberal ink capacity even though they are of slender form or of shortened length.

What I claim is:

-1. In a fountain pen of the type having a barrel affording a reservoir, and a pen point mounted in the barrel, the provision of an ink feed bar. mounted in the barrel in underlying relationship to the pen point and having a longitudinally extending ink feed channel for conducting ink to the pen point and having its forward portion covered thereby, said feed bar being provided in its forward upper portion with overflow gutters on opposite sides of the ink feed channel and sepa- 0 rated from it bylongitudinal wall portions, and

with'ink imbibing slots cut into the vbar and extending about its under portion from gutter to gutter, said slots being of width to retain ink by capillary action, whereby ink overflowing from the ink feed channel into a gutter may be imbibed by the slots.

2. In a fountain pen, a structure as defined in claim 1 and wherein portions of the pen point overlie the gutters, whereby ink may feed from the latter to the pen point in the writing oper- 1 ation.

i 3. In a fountain pen, a structure as specified in claim 1 and wherein the pen point and feed bar are mounted in the barrel so that substantially all of the gutters and ink imbibing slot are housed therein together with all of the pen point excepting its writing tip.

, 4. In a fountain pen, a structure as specified in claim 1 and wherein the pen point and feed bar 0 are mounted in the barrel so that substantially all of them excepting their forward tips are encompassed by it, the forward portions of the bar being spaced inwardly from the encompassing a wall ,of the barrel to afford an ink receiving clearance in communication ,with the ink imbibing 7 municating with one or more of the ink imbibing slots and leading rearwardly therefrom, the rear portion of said passage being in communication with the reservoir.

6. In a fountain pen, a structure as specified in of the gutters, until it reaches the-rearward slot claim 1 and wherein the feed baris provided in its the reservoir and in its under portion with an ink 'return passage communicating with one or more ofthe ink imbibing slots and leading rearwardly therefrom, said passage being in communication with the reservoir by way of said air inlet passage.

7. In a fountain pen, a structure as specified in claim 1 and wherein said gutters are formed with longitudinally extending ledges located inwardly beyond the ink imbibing slots. v

8. In a fountain pen, in combination, a tubular casing portion, a mounting sleeve adjustably and removabiy mounted therein, and a pen point and feed bar retained in said mounting sleeve for adjustment and removal therewith, said sleeve, pen point and feed bar being disposed with all of their portions housed in thetubular barrel portion excepting the writing tip of the pen point and the underlying tip of the feed bar, and said sleeve being provided at its inner endwith circumferentially spaced formations adapted to interflt with a circumferentially interlocking spanner.

9. In a fountain pen, in combination; tubular casing sectionhaving a stepped'longitudinal bore whose forward portion isof greater diameter than its rearward portion, a mounting. sleeve adjustably and removably mounted in said casing section with its rearward portion engaged in said rearward portion of the bore and its forward portion extending into said forward portion of the bore but clear of the bore wall, and a pen point and feed bar retained in said mounting sleeve catingwith said bore portion and forming part of the ink-reservoir, a feed bar mounted in the forfrom the barrel, thereby affording a directional and extending forwardly therefrom within the l bore of theoasing section.

10. In a fountain pen, a structure as specified in claim 9 and wherein the feed bar extends rearwardly within the mounting sleeve within said rearward portion of the bore and the entire P point is disposed forwardly from said rearward bore position.v

11. In a fountain pen. a structure as specified inclaim 9, and wherein the forward portion of said mounting sleeve is resiliently yieldable in radial directions.

12. In a fountain pen, a structure as specified in claim 1 and wherein the forward portion of the barrel affords an ink receiving space around the forward portion of the pen point and feed bar, said barrel being provided'in its under portion at its forward end with asiot leading rearwardly past the inklmbiblng slots.

13. In a fountain pen, in combination, a tubuthe ink reservoir, an elastically collapsible tubular member housed in the barrel and communisaid slots being in communication with one anlar barrel having a bore portion forming part of v ward portion of the barrel and having a longitudinally extending air and ink passage communicating at its rearward end with the reservoir, said feed bar having a bore communicating with said air and ink passage at a distance from both the forward and rearward ends thereof, and an air by-pass tube mounted in said feed bar and communicating with its bore, and extending 'rearwardly therefrom into the collapsible portion'of the ink reservoir, said tube being pliant but non collapsible, whereby it may accommodate collapsing movement of said collapsible ink reservoir portion without strangulation.

14. In a fountain pen,'a tubular barrel portion having a forwardly tapering end and a pen point sheathed therein with its writing tip projecting forwardly therefrom adjacent the uppermost side of the barrel, the upwardly presented surface of the tapered-barrel portion being flattenedlater ally of the longitudinal median line to form a forwardly tapering land as a crest on the upper surface, the forward terminus of said land being disposed immediately over and closely adjacent to the pen point tip at the place where it emerges indicator for orienting the pen-point in writing.

15, In a fountain pen, astructure as specified a in claim 1 and wherein the ink imbibing slots are separated from one another by thinpartitions and some of the slotshave communication with one another in the under part of the feed bar through said partitions.

- 16. In a fountain pen havingabarrel aflording an ink reservoir, apen point mounted in the barrel, and an ink feed bar mountedin the barrel in underlying relationship to the pen point and having a longitudinally extending ink feedchannel for conducting ink to the pen point, said feed bar being provided with ink imbibing slots extendinto proximity with the under surface point on opposite sides of the ink feed channel,

other at their upper ends, andthe feed bar'being provided with an ink return passage "leading rearwardly from the rearwardmost ink imbibing'sl'ot and having communication with the ink reservoir.

17. In a fountain pen, a structure as specified in claim 16 and wherein some of the ink-imbibing slots have communication with one another in the lower portion of the feed bar. g

GEORGE CLOUTIIR,

v I Certificate of fiorrectiom Patent No; 2,398,521. :5 r I v 1 GEORGE DOUGLASCLOUTIER It'is herelpy certified that errors appear in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 4, second column, line 10, for efiectiireiread eflectioely; pa e 5, first column, lme 40, claim 10, for position read April 16, 1946.

' portion; ands'ecoridicolumn, ine 21, clairn 14, for flattened read flatted; and that the said-Letters'Patent should be read wlth these correctlons therein that the same maygconform tetherecord of the case in the Patent Oflice.' sigfieda'nd sealed this 11th day of June, A. D. 1946.

[an]; I

LESLIE FRAZER, l

First Assistant Commissioner of Patents. 

